5 Things You Need To Know About The Last Great Race on Earth - Iditarod
Not every sporting event has been cancelled. These badasses are still braving the elements.
If you think all sports are cancelled, you’d be wrong. The “Last Great Race on Earth,” the famed Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, is happening now in the treacherous Alaska wilderness.
A wild ride,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. The 57 Iditarod teams brave the toughest conditions to travel nearly 1,000 miles through Alaska from Anchorage to Nome. The race, which started in 1973, takes around 15 days and teams battle windy conditions and temps as low as 45 below. For a little comparison (although it’s like comparing apples to oranges), the Tour de France covers 2,200 miles in 23 days with two days of rest. REGARDLESS, WE’RE TIRED ALREADY
2. One musher averages 16 dogs on a team, generally Siberian Huskies, so that means around 1,000 dogs leave the starting line on day one. Much like your quarantine, the dogs consume over 10,000 calories a day during the race. BUT THEY’RE PROBABLY NOT CONSUMING NEARLY AS MUCH WINE
3. A tradition that goes back to the days when dog sled teams were like your local UPS driver, teams relied on a series of roadhouses between their village destinations. The roadhouses would burn a lantern to relay their location to a driver but also to signify to the villagers that a team was out on the trail. The Widow’s Lamp is still lit on the first Sunday of March at the finish line and will stay lit until all the teams cross the finish line. Extinguishing the lamp signifies the end of the race. A BEACON OF LIGHT
4. It’s one of two sporting events still happening in the U.S., and race officials are of course taking coronavirus precautions. These teams often go 200 miles in harsh weather without a refresh in supplies so the checkpoints are critical. Some stops have changed with schools closing and villages taking precautions. One stop was moved and signs were posted saying that mushers can expect veterinarians and supplies, but nowhere inside to sleep and no access to the village. Woof. The fan favorite “Meet the Musher” event was cancelled along with all post-race celebration events. THAT'S RUFF
5. The race runs one direction on the trail in even years (northern trail), and the opposite in odd-numbered years (southern). Why? To share the love with villages along the trail. TOURISM AT ITS BEST
5 Times Global Sports Have Come To A Halt
Coronavirus isn’t the first culprit to put a kibosh on athletic competition.
The coronavirus is nothing like we’ve ever seen before but it’s not the first-time sporting events have been cancelled on a global scale. Regardless, there haven’t many times in history where we’ve hit the brakes on sports.
Healing through sports,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. While we’ve never seen cancellations like this from a virus, we’ve seen plenty of examples of entire seasons cancelled due to contract negations between the players and the owners. In 2011, the NBA (National Basketball Association) shorted their season (which the players probably preferred) because they couldn’t come to terms and MLB (Major League Baseball) has missed out on the second half of a season and a World Series in 1994. The NHL (National Hockey League) has done it too in 2004. Keep an eye on the NFL as the hotly contested deal from 2011 expires in 2021. At this point, all signs say we could have another lock out next year. SAY IT ISN’T SO
2. The Olympics have made it through some rough patches in history but World War I led to a cancellation of the 1916 Summer Games in host country Germany. Germany was awarded the game over bids by Alexandria, Amsterdam, Brussels, Budapest and Cleveland. The country ended up hosting the 1936 Summer Olympics while it was under the rule of Adolf Hitler. ON A GLOBAL SCALE
3. The tragic events of 9/11 disrupted the world, including the sports world. The NFL and college football cancelled games. MLB took a week off in the last month of their season, leading to the first ever World Series to be played in November. Many will remember the first game back of the MLB postseason and the iconic moment when President Bush threw out the first pitch or the goosebump evoking home run by New York Mets’ Mike Piazza. A SENSE OF NORMALCY
4. Japan was on board to host the 1940 Summer Olympics but two years before the contest, they excused themselves from their host duties to put all resources toward their military during conflict. The games were then awarded to Finland but the start of World War II in 1939 led to cancellation of the Olympics all together. The 1944 London Summer Olympics were also cancelled because of WWII. Those two Olympics are referred to by historians as the “Lost Olympics.” A PIECE OF HISTORY
5. As of today’s post, we know that March Madness will proceed next week but without fans. The NBA has suspended its season after a player tested positive for the virus. All other major professional sports leagues that are playing right now have closed their locker rooms to media and non-essential personnel. All Italian sporting events are closed to fans, many Olympic qualifying events have been cancelled and the big tennis tournament in Indian Wells is cancelled, leaving $400 million in tourism dollars on the table. BIG DECISIONS ON THE LINE
The XFL - The League You Didn't Know You Needed
The only five things you need to know about the newest kid on the block and their rebel ways to make the game more entertaining.
What if we told you there’s a new league out that make games faster, more fun and give you, the fan, a behind the scenes look? Well that’s exactly what the XFL is doing for football.
Giving you what you didn’t know you needed,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. You’re thinking “haven’t I seen this before?” and the answer is yes. Vince McMahon (WWE – World Wrestling Entertainment) founded the XFL in 2001 and the league only played one season. The focus wasn’t football but entertainment, violence and cheerleaders. McMahon is fronting the cash for the league himself and he’s expecting to lose $375 million over the first three seasons to get the league back off the ground. (In case you're wondering, according to Forbes he is worth $2.1 billion). WHAT COULD GO WRONG?
FYI - The ‘X’ in XFL doesn’t actually stand for anything.
2. Now the league, which features former NFL (National Football League) and college football players, is back and the focus is on giving fans unprecedented access to the game during the broadcast. You'll see on the field interviews with players during the game (who are usually out of breath and known to drop f-bombs). On the broadcast you can listen in to the plays being called down to the players on the field. You can also spy on the referees and their communication with their replay team on questioned calls which is interesting and sometimes hilarious. INVESTING FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT
3. They’ve embraced their ability to think outside the box on the field, but also to the benefit of their sponsors. The players celebrate their wins by chugging Bud Light Seltzer. GATORADE SHOWERS ARE FOR BABIES
4. Did you know in the NFL (National Football League) the only offensive player with communication in their helmet is the quarterback? (One defensive player also receives coach communication). In an effort to speed up the game, the majority of the players on the field in the XFL can hear the plays being relayed from their coaches. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
5. And if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. That’s what the XFL says about betting on their games. Even though they’ve benefitted from fantasy sports, other professional sports leagues have fought the expansion of betting. The XFL is encouraging it, even asking their broadcasters to bring it up during the game. They consulted bookmakers on the new rules and are “leaning in” to sports betting to give the fans what they want. (For our sports betting 101, click here). GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT
Note - We’re two weeks into the season and all the signs say the league will be around for a while, unlike the AAF (Alliance of American Football) that folded mid-season. You can see the eight XFL teams battle it out every weekend for the next eight weeks, with two weeks of playoffs after that.